


Submission

by GelNails



Category: Andrew Lincoln - Fandom, Danai Gurira - Fandom, The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead RPF
Genre: Actors, Andrew Lincoln - Freeform, British Character, Danai Gurira - Freeform, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Het, RPF, Sexual Content, Steven Yeun - Freeform, Tension, tease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 07:09:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6413980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GelNails/pseuds/GelNails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faced with an on-screen relationship pairing, Andrew and Danai's friendship blurs the line between art and reality.</p><p>RPF and COMPLETELY FICTIONAL. In this series Andrew is not married...<br/>This is my first go of it, so I welcome constructive feedback!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Realization, A Discovery

Chapter 1: A Realization, A Discovery

“...And ultimately, we do listen to our fans, but we are more interested in telling an authentic, compelling story.” Scott Gimple was exhausted. Ever gracious to fans and fanatics alike, this particular panel felt more like an inquisition. Danai sat comfortably wedged between Norman and Steve, enjoying playful banter with the ever-flirtatious Norman Reedus. Andrew, positioned at the opposite end of the stage, shared a hearty laugh at the final question: “Will Rick and Michonne ever 'happen'?” At this point, he doesn't know. At least, that's what he tells the audience. 

Peter Dedrick, the panel's host, raised his hands to quiet the eager crowd. With one swooping statement, he thanked the cast for their participation, the audience for their loyalty and interest, and drew the panel to a definite close. As the cast rose from their seats, the fans instantaneously followed, gravitating towards each actor with t-shirts, posters, and comics to autograph. It was overwhelming. Chandler retreats a little, only to realize he is on the edge of the stage. He recollects himself and stands firm, prepared for the barrage of fangirls and Carl Grimes aficionados. 

Thirty minutes pass, and finally the cast moves backstage. Danai goes off on her own. She breathes a deep sigh of satisfaction and relief. She's happy, but tired. Her mind drifts to her other projects. This is what she's always wanted. Grateful, but pensive, she glances at herself in the mirror of the makeup station. _What's missing? Is there more to do? There's always more._ Engrossed in her own reflection, peering through her eyes, hoping the answers to those voices lie in the deep beyond, her contemplation is interrupted by a slender but commanding figure. 

She turns to confirm that it's Andrew, watching quietly. Waiting for her to come back. “Hey there, do you have a moment?” Danai collects herself quickly and offers half a smile. “Sure, what's up?” 

Andrew hands her a booklet and takes a seat on the sofa. His elbow are planted on top of his knees and he leans forward. He tells her to look towards the end of of the booklet. She skims the last ten pages, nodding as she absorbs each line. Unsure of why she needed to see this, she continues to read, albeit less diligently. Just as she started to ask about the point of it all, she sees it. 

**Holding hands, they gaze into each others eyes. Rick leans over to kiss Michonne. His hand moves towards her-**

Danai closes the booklet, flushed but composed. She slowly looks up and meets Andrew's gaze, but they quickly detach from each other- Andrew returns to staring at the floor and Danai goes back to the booklet. Andrew says with an uncomfortable laugh, “it was bound to happen, right?” 

Ever the analyzer, Danai smiles to hide her concern. The fans are nuts. Absolutely nuts. 

“The fans, right?” Andrew said with a smile. Danai couldn't help but laugh. She looks relieved. _He gets it. He gets it._ The mood lightens a little. “Listen, we can do this. We've been doing this,” he said. He stands assuredly, pleased by her visibly waining fears. Andrew moves closer to her. With his index and middle finger, he moves from her elbow down her left arm. 

In that instant, something bubbling beneath the surface emerged. A realization, perhaps. 

Danai, afraid but undeterred, looks into Andrew's eyes. He holds her gaze. His fingers remained on her soft, slight wrist, as if he wanted to be sure that she felt what he was giving her. He moved a bit closer and whispered, “just read it carefully, and we can see how it goes from there.” She nods, and moves from under his lean yet commanding frame. His eyes follow her, momentarily, but he decidedly moves towards the door. She sits on the couch, exactly where he once sat. Booklet in hand, she breaths deeply. In one short conversation, two challenges emerge-intertwined.


	2. The Read Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew and Danai meet to discuss their upcoming scene, but things take a turn...

The next morning, awakened by a blaring iPhone alarm, Danai reached for the snooze button and leaned back into her bed. _What was that?_ She thought about the touch. That touch. A ball of confusion grew in her stomach. She wasn't sure what to think. After all, they're a pretty touchy group of friends.

Resolved to put it behind her, Danai rose from her bed, showered, dressed, and prepared for the upcoming table read. By the time she slipped on her left shoe, she was ready to leave the past in the past.

Andrew, on the other hand, was far more decisive about what yesterday meant. It was spontaneous, yes. Unintentional, perhaps. But very real. He sat in his car, thinking about the moment. That moment. Thinking about her pulse between his fingers. Her breathing instantly matching his. He imagined how it would be, moving together as one, his left hand under her skirt, moving up her thigh as they lean against the door of her trailer. Sitting in his car, this moment felt intense and slow. He could feel himself harden as he slips further into fantasy. He imagines Danai, encouraging him to rest his body on hers, to move slowly against her....

“Hey!” Three taps on the car door pulls Andrew away from his daydream. _Fuck._ He turns to see Norman, smirking at the sight of a slumped and slightly disoriented Andrew. “Hey, lightweight.” He gets out of the car and smirks, “I have a bit of a headache, really.” Frustrated by the interruption, he thought it best to go along with the assumed hangover. They walked towards the big grey building together, while Andrew worked on suppressing his irritation. 

Upon entry Norman moves in the direction of the catering on display, and Andrew is met by his assistant Sarah. A willowy, bright, 20-something year old girl from The Midlands, Sarah was quite serious for her age. With chin-length ginger hair and cat eye glasses, she was delightfully retro in her looks and demeanor. She was everything one could ever want in an assistant, organized and sharp with an obsessive attention to detail. Andrew enjoyed having someone from home to talk to on occasion. “Good morning Mr. Lincoln. Do remember to give your mum a call before noon.” Andrew grabbed the cup of coffee she held for him and moved towards the reading room. 

The entire cast was present when Andrew took his seat at the round table. He scanned the room to see his friends and coworkers, but his eyes rested on the figure directly in front of him. Danai could feel his eyes linger and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She looked towards Steven, struggling for a safe place to rest her eyes. _Think Danai, think!_ She decided to ask about the girl Steven started dating recently. Perhaps he was thrown off by the sudden interest, or maybe he was aware that he was being used as a diversion, but Steven was amused by the question. “Great. Everything's great.” He smiled and looked on, ready to hold her attention, perhaps out of support. Fortunately the writers and producers stepped in, ending the awkward distraction attempt. It was time to focus.

The looming sense of seriousness notwithstanding, group readings are always fun. It's an opportunity to go over the nuances of each character and their interactions on screen. Although the atmosphere is relaxed, everyone puts their best foot forward, preparing to bring each character to life. Danai glanced over at Andrew briefly, seeing the same level of intensity and focus that he always delivers. Choosing not to dwell on her admiration, she returned to her work and followed along as Lauren delivered her lines. 

The meeting ended sometime around noon and the cast was none too eager to get on with their day. As Danai headed for the door she was met by Andrew and one of the producers. “Oh great, there you are. I was just telling Andy it's probably best that you guys hash out that last scene together at some point. Nothing over the top, you know. We'll meet again later this week for another run through.” Danai nodded in agreement as the producer left. “So, we should talk about this over dinner then?” Andrew spoke cooly. “Sure. I know a place,” Danai successfully matched his indifference. They agreed to meet at seven, in the parking lot of Bacchanalia. 

The evening came quickly and Danai found herself leaning against her car in a black, mid-length, strapless dress. Although summer had just begun, Atlanta was hot. Too hot. Unable to bear the humidity any longer, she moved towards the entrance of the restaurant. Three steps into her journey, she felt a hand press against her right side. Suddenly, it was blazing. She knew that touch. Trying her best to compose herself, she admonished him for being late. Andrew offered a smile in return. “I was here. I was watching.”

They entered the restaurant together and were led to their seats towards the back. A tiny, intimate table, they were practically knee to knee. The cool air hit them quickly, and suddenly Danai found herself, with legs crossed and arms folded, trying to relax as Andrew spoke. Sensing her discomfort, Andrew apologized for the seating. She smiled in appreciation and they continued to talk about everything from life in Atlanta, life since The Walking Dead, and the upcoming scene. “I just want it to seem authentic,” she spoke decidedly. Andrew, on the other hand, was less worried about authenticity and more worried about technique. “It's just acting, isn't it? The characters bring the authenticity. But I do think we have to worry about expressing the emotions and feelings they've been grappling with over the years. I suppose this is never easy...in front of all those people.” 

His blue eyes fixated on the empty glass in front of him. Within moments the waiter came to refill the glass with water, jolting Andrew out of his gaze. He locked eyes with Danai. “It feels like winter in here. I'm really sorry about that.” He touched her knee lightly. Danai responded with nearly a whisper, “You've apologized twice but you know I picked the restaurant, right? I get it, you're an English gentleman.” He smiled as he slowly moved his hand an inch or two further between her knees. Her smile faded but she held his gaze. He stopped, worried that he'd gone too far. “I'm taking the English gentleman stuff back,” she smiled slyly. She could feel herself getting wet although his hand never reached her core. When dinner arrived he very slowly, almost regretfully, moved his hand from between her warm thighs. It seems like there wasn't much else to talk about, but they continued enjoying each other's company. Enjoying the periods of silence and light chatter. 

After dinner, Danai excused herself to the ladies room. Glancing in the mirror, she felt exhilarated but bashful. They'd been there for hours, talking, flirting, touching. The restaurant was nearly empty. She retouched her makeup, checked her dress, and headed for the bathroom door. Upon opening it she found Andrew standing in the restroom foyer, waiting for her. Before she could exit, he looked to his left then moved into the lady's room. He kissed her. A light, cautious kiss. He checked her eyes for reassurance. He found it. 

They continued to kiss, moving further into the restroom, his hands around her waist and his tongue more aggressively tasting hers. He opened the last stall and they went in. They stared at each other for a moment, unsure of where to go from there. Blushing, laughing, Danai couldn't help but think; _thank god the producers are choreographing The Scene_. Andrew, knowing exactly why she was laughing, rose to the challenge. He moved from her mouth to her chin, then gradually down to her neck. Danai was silenced, now focusing on keeping her breath. He removed the straps of her dress to reveal her firm, small but full breast. He opened his mouth to her, licking and then sucking on her nipple. She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, but shuttered as he lightly bit her. He returned to her mouth, and she felt the cold air intensely hit the bare breast that his mouth once covered. She reached for his bulge, still covered. She stroked it as they continued to kiss, feeling it growing as she massaged it. She looked down, pleased to see him struggling, breathing heavily as he pushed his covered cock between her hands. He's concentrating, enraptured by what she's doing to him. He grabs her ass while he leans into her and they continue to kiss. She's in control now. Watching the pain on his face. Kissing him and comforting him as he struggles to stand. She unzips his pants without undoing the buckle. Cum is dripping slowly from the tip. He's flushed with anticipation as he uses his left hand to lean against the stall and his right hand continues to cup her. She strokes him harder and he lets out a low moan, wincing at his submission. She smiles, pulls up her straps and leaves him in the bathroom stall. 

Call it a practice run?

Andrew returned home, drained but exhilarated. His only regret being that he didn't get to return the favor. He texted Danai to make sure she got home.

D: Did you enjoy your dinner?

A: What kind of question...

D: =)

A: This dinner was on me, but next time, it's definitely on me. 

Just as Andrew drifted to sleep he was awaken by the sound of his phone ringing. It was Sarah. “Hello Andy dear, we need to talk. I'm coming.”


End file.
